Cleat cleaner



Sept. 6, 1963 R. E. HARRIS, JR 3,270,363

CLEAT C LLLL ER Filed March 11, 1964 R0551? r 1:? 654121215 (/R amzwm a amwz United States Patent 3,270,363 CLEAT CLEANER Robert E. Harris, Jr., 1350 Cleveland Heights Blvd., Cleveland Heights 21, Ohio Filed Mar. 11, 1964, Ser. No. 351,038 Claims. (Cl. 15-237) The present invention relates generally, as indicated, to a cleat cleaner and, more particularly, to a device for cleaning mud, grass, and dirt from the cleats and exposed bottom shoe area of golf shoes and the like.

A person when playing golf generally wears a pair of golf shoes provided with a plurality of cleats on both the sole and heel of each shoe which are adapted to bite or dig into the playing surface so that the golfer is able to maintain his footing while making a golf shot. Due to the general nature of most golf courses and the close spacing between the cleats, however, mud, grass, and dirt readily tend to build up on the exposed portions of the heel and sole of golf shoes and become impacted between the cleats, which substantially interferes with the effective use of the golf shoes. It accordingly becomes necessary to remove such mud and the like a number of times during a single round of golf, since only exposed cleats will effectively grip the ground in the desired manner.

While many different types of hand tools have been devised for use in removing mud from the cleats of golf shoes, heretofore it has not been possible to clean the shoes and cleats without having to be careful in either accurately placing the cleaning portion of the tool adjacent each cleat or accurately aligning slots in the cleaning portion with the cleats during the cleaning operation. Such alignment is not only often difficult to do, particularly when cleaning the inner cleats, but also takes a considerable amount of time and patience.

It is therefore a principal object of this invention to provide a novel cleatcleaner which is adapted to be use-d for quickly and easily removing excess mud, dirt, and grass from the cleats and exposed bottom shoe area of golf shoes without having to align any portion of the cleat cleaner with the cleats.

It is another object to provide such a cleat cleaner with a plurality of tines, the height and spacing of which are sufiicient to clear the cleats of golf shoes.

It is still another object to slant the tines of the cleat cleaner so as to enable the tines to slide sideways off the cleats when they engage the same, rather than being blocked thereby.

A further object is to provide the lower front edge of the tines with a taper or bevel to allow the tines to slide up and over the base of the cleats during the cleaning operation.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent as the following description proceeds.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, the invention, then, comprises the features hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims, the following description and the annexed drawings setting forth in detail a certain illustrative embodiment of the invention, this being indicative, however, of but one of the various ways in which the principle of the invention may be employed.

In said annexed drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the preferred form of cleat cleaner constructed in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of such cleat cleaner with the tines shown disposed adjacent a cleat secured to the sole of a golf shoe and the like;

3,270,363 Patented Sept. 6, 1966 FIG. 3 is an end elevation of the cleat cleaner of FIG. 2 as seen from the left end thereof; and

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the cleat cleaner of FIG. 2.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, and first to FIG. 1, there is illustrated the preferred form of cleat cleaner 1 comprising a handle 2 on one surface 3 of which there is mounted a metal plate 4, preferably of stainless steel, having a plurality of laterally spaced narrow tines 5 extending outwardly therefrom. The plate 4 is secured to the handle 2 adjacent one end thereof as by means of rivets 6 extending entirely through the handle.

On the other side of the handle 2 directly opposite the plate 4 there are provided a plurality of holes (not shown) for receiving tufts or bristles 7 made of nylon, for example. As perhaps best seen in FIG. 3, the rivet holes 8 are staggered with respect to the tufts 7 so as not to interfere with the same.

The cleat cleaner 1 may be carried in a golf bag, or hung by a special clip attached to a ring, strap, or other appendage on the outside of the golf bag for easy access thereto when repeated use of the cleaning device is re quired on the golf course.

As clearly shown in FIG. 3, the height and spacing of the tines 5 are sufficient readily to clear the spike 10 of a golf cleat 11. Such cleats 11 are secured to the sole and heel 12 of a shoe as by a threaded shank 13 screwed into sockets 14 therein.

While the spacing and dimensions of the tines 5 may be varied as desired depending upon the size of the cleats to be cleaned thereby, it has generally been found that tines approximately /s in. wide having a perpendicular height of /8 in. as measured from the base of the plate 4 with a spacing of 7 in. between the adjacent side edges thereof will satisfactorily achieve the desired results when cleaning standard sized golf cleats in the manner to be more fully discussed hereafter.

Although it is preferred that the side edges of the tines 5 be exactly parallel to each other as shown in FIG. 3, in making the plates 4 it has been found necessary slightly to taper the width'of the two inner tines from a width of A; in. adjacent the free ends to a width of from about in. to about 7 in. adjacent the plate end to prevent die breakage. However, for all practical purposes it is readily apparent that the tines 5 are generally parallel to each other, and the slight width variations should not be construed to mean that the tines are tapered.

The tines 5 are bent at an acute angle, desirably 65 from the base of the plate 4 so that when the tool 1 is pushed in the direction of the arrow of FIGS. 2 and 4, should one of the tines 5 be in direct alignment with one of the cleats 11, substantially only point contact will be established between the front face 15 of the tine and conical spike 10 of the cleat, rather than line contact, so as readily to enable the tine and thus the tool to slide sideways off the cleat rather than being blocked thereby.

As clearly shown in FIG. 4, the cleats 11 are provided with a base portion 16. To allow the tines 5 to climb up over the base portion 16 during the cleaning operation, rather than be blocked thereby, the lower leading edges of the tines are tapered or beveled at 17, the included angle between the back face 18 of the tines and the beveled surface 17 preferably being approximately 30. Moreover, such beveled surfaces 17 form sharp edges 19 on the extreme free ends of the tines 5 which are eifective in removing mud and other debris from cleats and the exposed bottom of golf shoes during the cleaning operation.

In use, the cleaning device 1 is grasped by the handle 2 and pushed in the direction of the arrow of FIGS. 2 and 4 with the sharp edges 19 of the tines 5 engaging the exposed bottom surface of the golf shoes. As is readily apparent, such movement not only cleans the cleats, but also cleans the sole and heel of the golf shoe at the same time. This pushing movement may be repeated as many times as desired both transversely and longitudinally along the bottom of the golf shoes until the desired amount of cleaning is achieved. The golfer need not be concerned with aligning the slots 20 defined by the adjacent side edges of the tines 5 with the cleats 11 since, as aforesaid, the bent back tines 5 enable them to slide sideways off the spikes instead of being blocked thereby, and the lower tapered front edges 17 of the tines allow the tines to slide up and over the base 16 of the cleats 11. Thus, it can now be seen that the novel cleat cleaner of the present invention is a relatively simple and inexpensive means for quickly and easily cleaning the cleats and bottom exposed areas of golf shoes.

The brush side of the cleat cleaner 1 may be used to remove dirt particles from both the cleats and bottom shoe area which have been loosened by the tines, but have not dropped away.

While the tines 5 are shown bent toward the right as viewed in FIG. 2 so that the cleaning device 1 is adapted to be pushed during the cleaning operation, such tines could, of course, be bent in the opposite direction with the taper 17 on the rear face 18 rather than on the front face 15, in which case it would be necessary to pull the device during the cleaning operation. However, a pulling motion is not as desirable as a pushing motion since a portion of the mud, grass, and dirt which is removed during the cleaning process may fly into the cuffs of a golfers trousers or into his shoes.

While the preceding discussion has been directed only to the use of the cleat cleaner for cleaning golf shoes and golf cleats, it should be understood that by properly dimensioning the tines, such cleat cleaner could also be used for cleaning other similar type cleats, such as football cleats and the like.

Other modes of applying the principles of the invention may be employed, change being made as regards the details described, provided the features stated in any of the following claims or the equivalent of such be employed.

I therefore, particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention:

1. A device for cleaning the cleats and exposed bottom shoe area of shoes having cleats mounted thereon, such cleats being of the type having a base portion and a conical spike portion, said device comprising a handle, a plurality of laterally spaced tines projecting outwardly from one side of said handle, and means for securing said tines to said one side of said handle, said tines being bent at an acute angle of approximately from said handle, said tines having a perpendicular height as measured from said handle of approximately inch, and a spacing of approximately 7 inch between the adjacent side edges thereof.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the adjacent side edges of said tines are substantially parallel to each other.

3. The device of claim 2 wherein the free ends of said tines are beveled at an angle of approximately 30 from the face of said tines whose free end is closest to 'said handle.

4. The device of claim 3 wherein said tines are approximately 4; inch wide.

5. A device for cleaning the exposed bottom surfaces of golf shoes and golf cleats of the type having a base portion and a conical spike portion, comprising a handle having a plate mounted on one surface thereof and a plurality of laterally spaced tines projecting outwardly from said plate, said tines being bent at an acute angle of approximately 65 from said handle, said tines having a perpendicular height as measured from said handle of approximately inch, a spacing of approximately inch between the adjacent side edges thereof, and a width of approximately A; inch, the adjacent side edges of said tines being substantially parallel to each other, and the free ends of said tines being beveled at an angle of approximately 30 from the face of said tines whose free end is closest to said handle.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 401,442 4/1889 Lefebure 30-171 2,857,607 10/1958 South 15-142 X 2,912,707 11/1959 Fulton 15237 X 2,980,936 4/1961 Snow et a1. 13113 3,111,698 11/1963 Reichle 15237 FOREIGN PATENTS 127,527 1/ 1920 Germany.

CHARLES A. WILLMUTH, Primary Examiner. WALTER A. SCHEEL, Examiner. LEON G. MACHLIN, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A DEVICE FOR CLEANING THE CLEATS AND EXPOSED BOTTOM SHOE AREA OF SHOES HAVING CLEATS MOUNTED THEREON, SUCH CLEATS BEING OF THE TYPE HAVING A BASE PORTION AND A CONICAL SPIKE PORTION, SAID DEVICE COMPRISIG A HANDLE, A PLURALITY OF LATERALLY SPACED TINES PROJECTING OUTWARDLY FROM ONE SIDE OF SAID HANDLE, AND MEANS FOR SECURING SAID TINES TO SAID ONE SIDE OF SAID HANDLE, SAID TINES BEING BENT AT AN ACUTE ANGLE OF APPROXIMATELY 65* FROM HANDLE, SAID TINES HAVING A PERPENDICULAR HEIGHT AS MEASURED FROM SAID 